Manchester United will be aiming to make it back-to-back wins over Crystal Palace in a week when they host Roy Hodgson’s men at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Saturday.
Erik ten Hag’s side put Crystal Palace to the sword in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, beating them 3-0 at home with goals from Alejandro Garnacho, Casemiro and Anthony Martial. Roy Hodgson, on the other hand, will be disappointed with his team’s lack of fight and early exit from the Carabao Cup. He will expect his side to put in a better performance and beat Ten Hag’s Red Devils at the weekend.
With that being said, let us look at the three individual battles that will have a big say on the outcome of the Premier League game at Old Trafford.
#Cheick Doucoure vs Bruno Fernandes
Midfield battles generally determine the ebb and flow of games. The fixture between Manchester United and Palace will be no different. Cheick Doucoure is expected to start in the No.6 role and stick to his primary task of breaking the opposition’s attacks. He had a poor cup game in midweek as United players ran rings around him and Jairo Riedewald.
On Sunday, though, Doucoure must significantly raise the level of his performance as he will likely come up against United skipper Bruno Fernandes. Fernandes, who enjoyed a breather in midweek, will be fresh for Saturday’s fixture and he will be looking to use his creative tendencies to unlock the Palace backline.
Due to the Portuguese playmaker’s ability to split open defensive lines in quick succession and create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates in attack, Doucoure is expected to have his hands full in the upcoming game.
#Rasmus Hojlund vs Joachim Andersen
Rasmus Hojlund has shown glimpses of his huge potential following his summer move to United from Atalanta. Although he hasn’t fully adapted to the demands of Premier League football, the 20-year-old will be United’s main goal threat against Palace.
Considering how Palace struggled to cope with Manchester United in midweek, the Dane will be itching to lead the attack at Old Trafford on Saturday. Lining up against Hojlund will be Joachim Andersen, who was an unused substitute in the midweek cup defeat to United. Andersen will be responsible for marshalling the troops from the back and stopping Hojlund from scoring.
All in all, the battle between the two Danes will be an exciting watch.
#Eberechi Eze vs Casemiro
Eberechi Eze is a technically intelligent midfielder and could trouble United in this clash given his outstanding expertise. He demonstrated his qualities after coming off the bench in the midweek cup fixture, and while the game was done and dusted, the England international gave United’s defence a few scares with his creative passing and smart movement in the final third.
Having become Palace’s creator-in-chief following Wilfried Zaha’s exit in the summer, this is where Casemiro comes in, as he has successfully stopped numerous world-class players over the years. The Brazilian ran the show in the middle of the park on Tuesday and scored a bullet header in United’s 3-0 win over Palace. The 31-year-old has shown signs of regaining his form in the last couple of games, and he will be tasked with the responsibility of keeping Eze quiet at the weekend.
It will be interesting to see who emerges on top in this key battle at the centre of the pitch.
